NHER 10128 (Building record) - St Mary's Church, Howe

St Mary's Church.
Saxo-Norman tower and basic structure with Roman flue tiles.
Remainder 13th-15th century work.
Information from Record Card (S2).
H. Hamilton (HES), 04 April 2023.

September 1960. Listed, Grade II*.
Listing Description Excerpt:
"Parish church. Medieval. Flint, with some Roman tiles and ironbound conglomerate, stone and brick dressings. Tile roof. Cll west tower and nave, C19 south porch, early C14 chancel. Round tower with blocked doorway to west; deep splay to round windows on north, south and west faces; over these a deep splay to small round-headed windows on south and west. Brick parapet; conical cap. Nave of 2 bays; south west quoins include some Roman tiles."
Information from (S1).
Please consult the National Heritage List for England (S1) for the current listing details.
H. Hamilton (HES), 04 April 2023.

September 1981. Field Observation.
Information from unpublished report (S3).
No specific details from this inspection of the building have been preserved.
H. Hamilton (HES), 04 April 2023.

October 2002. Field Observation.
Round tower and nave about 1050 containing much Roman material including flue tile. Possible removed north chapel. Chancel and porch added, nave windows about 1300. 15th century window (removed 19th century) and nave roof, tower perhaps heightened at this date. 19th century rendering with new porch, chancel roof, windows.
Few furnishings of interest except for good Great War memorial triptych.
See unpublished report (S3) for full details.
E. Rose (NLA), 15 October 2002.

March 2003. Trial Trench. Contexts 10-30.
Excavation of single trench within footprint of proposed extension to north nave.
A buried churchyard soil was uncovered which contained Roman tile, medieval and post medieval finds. Part of this deposit had been cut to enable the construction of a wall or wall foundation during the medieval period, possibly in the 14th century. This would have been part of a structure to the north of the nave, probably a north aisle. Part of an in situ tiled floor (including glazed and decorated tiles) was found within the probable aisle. It was disturbed in the 15th century or later, during the abandonment and demolition of the structure.
Two medieval infant skeletons were found buried to the north of the probable aisle. It was not clear whether they were buried whilst the structure was standing.
An 18th century brick and stone vault and associated cut were found truncating the abandonment deposit associated with the probable aisle. The vault was associated with the Sewell family and was last used during the mid 19th century.
See unpublished contractor report (S4) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S5).
The archive associated with this work have been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2021.206).
M. Horlock (NLA), 29 August 2003. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 6 March 2015 and 29 March 2022.

July to September 2007. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of groundworks associated with the construction of a northern extension, including the observation of the excavation of a drainage trench and soak away and the opening of the blocked north door.
Deposits encountered during the evaluation were observed in the area of the extension. The builders recovered a complete medieval pot from beneath the floor of the possible north aisle (S6). The 18th century vault was opened; it contained at least twenty lead coffins.
A churchyard soil was visible in the drainage trench and soak away.
Report awaited.
D. Robertson (NLA), 25 September 2007.

September 2007. Field Observation.
Unblocking of north doorway produced fragments of a moulded brick doorway of around 1500 reused in the rubble, possibly the entrance to the south porch which was rebuilt in 1895, and a number of 18th/19th century plastered bricks which may once have formed an entrance feature to the Sewell vault below. A number of 17th century roof tiles were also found.
See report (S7) for further details.
E. Rose (NLA), 24 September 2007.

April 2009. Watching Brief. Contexts from 31.
A watching brief was carried out during the removal of a portion of walling from a blocked western doorway believed to be of Saxon origin. Once the infill had been removed, it was revealed that the two imposts visible on the interior of the doorway continued through to the exterior with a triple roll mould on their underside and would have projected forward from the jambs in a style consistent with the Late Saxon period. Within the arch above the doorway Tredington-style birckwork was recorded, lending further support to an 11th century date for the tower. It appears that at some time between the late 16th and 19th century the western entrance fell out of use and was blocked up using a mixture of flint, medieval brick and post-medieval tile.
See report (S8) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S9).
A. Cattermole (NLA), 4 September 2009.